Arise and Love One Another
John 13: 31-35
May 5, 6, 2007

It is hard for Ellen and me to believe that our first-born child, Heather, is about to graduate from college! We'll be heading west next weekend to attend her graduation ceremony. She has done well at Murray State University, which is nestled in a quiet little city in far-western Kentucky. Some of you are also aware that she was an "exchange" student at the University of California in San Bernardino last semester. We had the opportunity to visit her last fall. It will come as no surprise to you that the greater Los Angeles area is a little different than Murray, Kentucky-especially when it comes to traffic. The highways in LA seem to be a training course for the Indianapolis 500! People seem to have the driving philosophy of "hurry up and stop!" If there is an accident or excessive traffic, the "racetrack" becomes transformed into a "parking lot" in a matter of minutes. After driving in LA, I have come to have much more appreciation for this story.

An LAPD officer pulled over a driver and asked for his license and registration. The driver wondered, "What's wrong officer?" "I didn't go through a red light." "And I certainly wasn't speeding." The officer said, "No you weren't." "But I saw you raising your fist as you swerved around the woman driving in the left lane." "I further observed your angry face as you shouted at the driver of the Hummer who cut you off." "And I saw how you pounded your steering wheel when the traffic backed up and came to a stop." The driver asked, "Are those crimes, officer?" The officer said, "No." "But I saw the 'Jesus Loves You and So Do I' bumper sticker on the car." "So I figured, 'This car has to be stolen.'"

Speaking of driving it is also hard for Ellen and me to believe that our last-born child, Brandon, has turned 16 and has received his learner's permit to drive. Put us on the prayer list! No, seriously, he is doing an incredibly good job so far. His mother and I have been spending lots of time with him so that he can prepare for his driving test later this year. And one of the extra bonuses that I have experienced with Brandon is to talk about "life" lessons in the midst of our driving lessons. I have explained to him that for many people, the way they drive is an expression and extension of their personality. Angry, aggressive people tend to drive that way. Selfish, egotistical people tend to drive that way-you've seen their bumper stickers. You know the ones: "Yes, in Fact, I Do Own the Road." On the other hand, calm, courteous folks tend to drive that way. To his credit, Brandon is "getting it." And sometimes he's so courteous that other people don't know how to react.

Other life lessons have come up while we've been on the road. For instance, it is important to check for blind spots-when driving and living. What happens when you don't use your turn signals or blindly make changes? Can people get hurt in the process? Have you ever been harmed when blindsided? Here's another: It is important to always yield to pedestrians. What happens when others get in your way? Do your choices frighten those around you? Have you ever felt like someone was trying to run over you? And another: It is important not to roll through stop signs-when driving and living. What can happen when you don't come to a complete stop? What happens when you ignore warning signs? Have you been unexpectedly broadsided? Again, he seems to be "getting it." We have strongly reminded him that every time he gets behind the wheel-it is literally a matter of life and death. Cars are simply containers for people. And as strange as it may sound, there are ways to drive that express courtesy and care and love for the people inside those containers.

THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURE LESSON FROM JOHN 13 DESCRIBES JESUS' "NEW COMMANDMENT." It may not sound all that new to us, but the essence of the commandment is that if we are to be his followers then we are to show our love. By our love, people will know more about us than by anything else we can do. Whether we're driving in LA or Murray or Louisville… Or whether we're living in LA or Murray or Louisville. Jesus' new commandment to his disciples is profoundly simple-and yet, it is profoundly challenging. Show your love…love one another. Love each other as I have loved you. Jesus loved people by speaking the words-but it didn't stop there. He lived a life that embodied love. He healed the sick, he fed the hungry. He comforted the confused, he taught the ignorant. He welcomed the lonely and embraced little children. Jesus' love was sacrificial and action-packed!

As we "overhear" this important conversation between Jesus and the disciples, we realize that this message is also intended for us. Jesus wants our love for others not just to be expressed within the safe and secure confines of a sanctuary or chapel. We are to demonstrate our love beyond the walls of the church. The ability to love-even the most unlovable sorts of people-has always been one of the important tests of "discipleship love."

Are there ways we can share this kind of love in our own lives? Can we embrace this dimension of discipleship? Personally, I don't think we can pull this off by ourselves; we need help! In one of Henry Drummond's classic sermons, he concluded with an illustration from the scientific world that makes sense for those who want to be disciples in this world. He said that if you put a piece of iron in the presence of an electrified field, that piece of iron itself will become electrified. In the presence of that electrical field, it will be changed into a magnet.
As long as it remains in contact with that field of power, it will continue to attract other pieces to itself. Drummond said, "We are like that piece of iron." "In the presence of Christ, we experience his love and take on his likeness." "We are changed, electrified by the Holy Spirit, to attract others to the same love of God that we experience." We become magnetic people of faith, charismatic people of God!

Love each other as I have loved you. How incredibly simple is that? How incredibly difficult and dangerous and risky and radical is that? And I believe that we can't do it alone-God help us! Oh, the words sound great! But then we begin to think about applying them… Oh, my gosh! We have a hard time just pulling it off with the folks in our families! It's hard enough with our friends and colleagues! And don't even go beyond the boundaries! Don't even begin to mention the people we don't like, the people who look and act and think differently than we do!

A middle-school music teacher had just organized a band in her school. The principal was extremely proud of the music teacher's efforts. Without consulting her, he decided that the band should give a concert for the entire school. The music teacher did not think that her young musicians were ready. She tried to talk the principal out of it, but to no avail. Just before the concert, she took her place on the podium. She leaned forward and whispered to her nervous musicians. "If you're not sure of your part, just pretend to play." She lifted her baton and with a great flourish brought it down. Guess what happened? Nothing-the band brought forth a resounding silence!

Sometimes, when it comes to love, I think we're a lot like those middle-school musicians. Oh, we sound great inside the building, inside the practice hall. But when we get outside of the walls, outside of our comfort zones, we're not as sure of our parts… Especially when we're challenged to love our enemies… Especially when we're called to love those who have hurt us. Is there anybody here who hasn't driven around on that guilt trip!? Can you imagine…

The families and folks who have lost loved ones at Virginia Tech, or Columbine, or Oklahoma City, or Baghdad, or 35th in Broadway in Louisville… Can you imagine hearing these words from John 13? Love one another as I have loved you?Right?!

I have found some words of Dr. Margaret Suchocki to be helpful. In her book, The Fall to Violence, she proposes that the "fall" was not original sin but violence-violence done by one to another in a loving world. Suchocki recognizes that some of us have been hurt too badly to love the perpetrator. In the face of overwhelming pain and suffering, sometimes the very best that we can do is pray for the other's well-being.
We wish that we could love the other, but we just can't. We try to follow the great commandment-but it just hurts too much. Instead of carrying all of that good old-fashioned Christian guilt around, Suchocki suggests that we just continue to pray for the well-being of the person who has hurt us. God does not require perfect love.
God requires that we try to love. And there are times when that is all we can do.

Even so, I don't think Jesus wants us to take up a residence there. Some of you were here when Philip Gulley spoke at Beargrass. In his boo, For Everything a Season, he gets our attention. He says, "Now I want to tell you a lie." "Hate is an emotion we can't help." "Hate is a feeling we cannot overcome." "If we hate someone, it is because we just can't help ourselves." "We're human-we have no choice but to hate." Gulley says, "That is a lie." "Unfortunately, it is a lie many people believe." "They believe this lie in order to excuse their hatred." "After all, if we can't help but hate, if hate is a feeling we simply cannot help, then hatred is never our fault, is it?" "But we can help it." "Hatred is a choice." "We choose to hate, just as we choose to love." "Oh, I know, there are people out there who believe love isn't a choice, that love is primarily an emotion, a feeling, a stirring in the loins." "But love is a matter of the will-something we decide to do." "Love is a choice."

Love each other as I have loved you. Oh, that's easy for you to say, Jesus. Sitting around the Table, hanging out with your friends… That's easy for you to say… Right after the Last Supper… Right after Judas walked out on you… Right before your friends denied you… Right before the world tried to destroy you… Right before Death tried to conquer you… That's easy…for you… Love each other, as I have loved you. How simple… But just how difficult… Can it get?